Charles Inglis (c. 1731–1791)
Encyclopedia
Charles Inglis was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
, the Seven Years' War
, and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of rear-admiral
.
Inglis was born into a gentry
family and embarked on a career in the navy, serving at first under Captain
George Brydges Rodney
. He saw action with Rodney at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre
, and was left without a ship after the end of the War of the Austrian Succession. Family friends and connections may have helped him receive new postings, and he was promoted to lieutenant during the Seven Years' War. After serving on several different ships, he was given his own commands, in which he took part in operations off the French coast, including one led by his old commander Rodney. Peace once again brought temporary inactivity for Inglis, though he briefly commissioned a ship during the Falklands Crisis
.
Back in service again with the outbreak of the American War of Independence, Inglis served in the Caribbean, where he captured a large Spanish privateer
. He was in Sir Samuel Hood's
fleet at the Battle of Saint Kitts in 1781, and, in 1782, fought at the Battle of the Saintes
, where his old commander, now Admiral Sir George Rodney, defeated a French fleet. Inglis was given command of a small squadron of his own and cruised with some success during the last years of the war, capturing a French frigate. He retired ashore after the end of the war, was promoted to rear-admiral in 1790, and died the following year.
and his wife Anne, the daughter of Adam Cockburn
. He embarked on a naval career, at first joining the 40-gun under Captain George Brydges Rodney
, in 1745, and the next year went with Rodney to the 60-gun . Rodney carried out several successful cruises, capturing four ships from a French convoy in June 1747, and fighting under Rear-Admiral Edward Hawke
at his clash with Desherbiers de l'Etenduère's fleet at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre
on 25 October 1747. Inglis saw action on both of these occasions. Eagle was heavily engaged with the French 70-gun Neptune in the latter engagement and suffered considerable damage. She was paid off in August 1748 on the conclusion of the peace, and Inglis was left without a ship. He remained unemployed until 1750, when he joined the 50-gun , at that time under the command of Captain Francis Holburne
. Inglis's biographer, P. K. Crimmin noted that like Inglis, Holburne was a lowland Scot, and that Inglis may have been benefiting during this time from a network of patronage that included John Cockburn
, Inglis's uncle and a Lord of the Admiralty between 1727 and 1732 and again during 1742 and 1744, and Sir John Clerk, a friend of the family with considerable political influence.
Inglis passed his lieutenant's examination on 6 February 1755, having by now spent ten years serving in the navy. He was appointed to the 74-gun , at that time under the command of Captain Abraham North, and by April 1756 had been transferred to , also of 74 guns, under Captain Wittewronge Taylor. Inglis followed Taylor to his next two commands, the 90-gun HMS Marlborough
, and then on 3 June 1757, the 84-gun HMS Royal William
. He was then promoted to commander and received his first independent command on 17 June 1757, that of the 14-gun sloop
. Inglis was initially assigned to support Hawke's September 1757 Rochefort expedition
, which ultimately failed to take the town. His next appointment was to the newly-completed bomb vessel
in June 1759, which was assigned to support the attack on Le Havre
the following month, conducted by Inglis's old commander, George Brydges Rodney. The expedition succeeded in its aim of destroying a large number of flat-bottomed boats which had been assembled in the port, thus frustrating a planned invasion attempt
. Carcass is next recorded as having sailed to the Mediterranean in May 1759, though she was back in England by the following year, being paid off at Sheerness
in September 1760.
, and on 15 December 1761 he was given command of the 80-gun . She hoisted the broad pennant of Commodore
Sir Peircy Brett
in January 1762, and sailed for Mediterranean that month to reinforce Admiral Sir Charles Saunders's squadron in anticipation of the entry of Spain to the war. There was no fleet action, and Newark was still in the Mediterranean in 1762, when she supported the re-occupation of Minorca
. The island was eventually returned to the British under the terms of the Treaty of Paris
. Inglis sailed Newark back to Britain with the fleet after the peace, and paid her off in August 1763. Her decommissioning once again left Inglis without a ship, and it was not until September 1770 that the Falklands Crisis
brought an opportunity for further employment.
As tensions between Britain and Spain over ownership of the Falkland Islands
increased, the Royal Navy hastily commissioned and prepared for service a number of ships in the anticipation of war. Inglis's old commander, now Admiral Holburne, was a member of the Board of Admiralty, and may have had a hand in arranging his appointment to one of these ships, the 28-gun . The appointment was short-lived; the Spanish backed down after failing to gain French support for their claims and the threat of war passed. The navy demobilised many of its ships, and Inglis returned to half-pay.
in January 1779. On 12 December she was sailing in the Bay of Honduras, when at daybreak a large ship was sighted ahead. Inglis gave chase, a pursuit which lasted all day until Salisbury came in range at 6.30pm. The fleeing ship hoisted Spanish colours and an action began, which last until 8.30pm when the Spanish ship had her mainmast shot away. Having sustained heavy casualties and suffered considerable damage, she struck her colours
. She was found to be the 50-gun privateer
San Carlos, carrying stores and 397 men. Four men were killed on Salisbury and fourteen wounded, five mortally. Inglis continued off North America until the summer of 1780, when he returned to England, paying Salisbury off in August that year.
Inglis's next command was the 64-gun , which he took over in November 1780, sailing in April the following year with Vice-Admiral George Darby
's fleet to the relief of Gibraltar
. He was with Admiral Robert Digby's
squadron later that year, before being sent to the Leeward Islands
to join Sir Samuel Hood
at Barbados
. He served with Hood during the Battle of Saint Kitts, when Hood attempted to relieve the island and repulsed several attacks by the Comte de Grasse
on 25 and 26 January 1782. Inglis was again in action with the French on 9 April, when Hood's fleet clashed with de Grasse's in the Dominica Channel, and fought at the Battle of the Saintes
on 12 April, where the main British fleet under Inglis's old captain, now Admiral Sir George Rodney
, decisively defeated de Grasse. St Albans had six men wounded during this engagement. Inglis sailed to North America in late July 1782 with Rodney's successor, Admiral Hugh Pigot. He was back in the West Indies by November, and was given command of a squadron of four ships cruising independently there. The squadron, consisting of St Albans, the 64-gun , the 74-gun and the sloop , was sent from Gros Islet Bay
on 12 February to investigate reports of a French squadron, consisting of Triton, Amphion and several frigates, having sailed from Martinique
.
On 15 February 1783 the frigate Concorde was sighted by the 74-gun , under Captain Robert Linzee
. Magnificent was close enough to identify the mysterious ship as a frigate by 18:00, and by 20:00 as darkness fell Concorde opened fire on her pursuer with her stern guns. Magnificent overhauled the French ship by 21:15, and after fifteen minutes forced her to strike her colours. Magnificent took possession of Concorde, the latter being described as carrying 36 guns and 300 men, and being under the command of M. le Chevalier du Clesmaur. Shortly after surrendering the Concordes maintopsail caught fire, forcing the crew to cut away the mainmast to extinguish it. Prudent and St Albans came up two hours later and Magnificent towed Concorde to St. John's
, Antigua
. Concorde was afterwards brought into the navy as .
. His biographer, P. K. Crimmin, assessed him as being 'a capable and competent officer without being inspired or presented with fortunate opportunities.' There are no details of Inglis having married, and Wood's The Ancient and Modern State of the Parish of Cramond stated that he died unmarried, but he is known to have had at least one child, a son, Charles Inglis
. The younger Charles Inglis followed his father into the navy, served in several engagements of the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
, and died in 1833 with the rank of post-captain
.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of rear-admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
.
Inglis was born into a gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
family and embarked on a career in the navy, serving at first under Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
George Brydges Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
. He saw action with Rodney at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre
Second battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
The Second Battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval battle which took place on 25 October 1747 during the War of the Austrian Succession...
, and was left without a ship after the end of the War of the Austrian Succession. Family friends and connections may have helped him receive new postings, and he was promoted to lieutenant during the Seven Years' War. After serving on several different ships, he was given his own commands, in which he took part in operations off the French coast, including one led by his old commander Rodney. Peace once again brought temporary inactivity for Inglis, though he briefly commissioned a ship during the Falklands Crisis
Falklands Crisis (1770)
The Falklands Crisis of 1770 was a diplomatic standoff between Britain and Spain over possession of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. These events were nearly the cause of a war between France, Spain and Britain — the countries poised to dispatch armed fleets to contest the barren...
.
Back in service again with the outbreak of the American War of Independence, Inglis served in the Caribbean, where he captured a large Spanish privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
. He was in Sir Samuel Hood's
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
fleet at the Battle of Saint Kitts in 1781, and, in 1782, fought at the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
, where his old commander, now Admiral Sir George Rodney, defeated a French fleet. Inglis was given command of a small squadron of his own and cruised with some success during the last years of the war, capturing a French frigate. He retired ashore after the end of the war, was promoted to rear-admiral in 1790, and died the following year.
Family and early life
Inglis was born c. 1731, the fourth son of Sir John InglisSir John Inglis, 2nd Baronet
Sir John Inglis of Cramond, 2nd Baronet was Postmaster General for Scotland, the son and heir of Sir James Inglis, 1st Baronet of Cramond, Edinburghshire by his spouse Anne, daughter of Sir Patrick Houstoun, 1st Baronet of that Ilk...
and his wife Anne, the daughter of Adam Cockburn
Adam Cockburn, Lord Ormiston
Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, Lord Ormiston was a Scottish judge and Lord Justice Clerk.A younger son of John Cockburn of Ormiston by his spouse Margaret Hepburn, Adam was retoured heir to his brother John in the family's ancient estate of Ormiston, East Lothian, on 28 December 1671...
. He embarked on a naval career, at first joining the 40-gun under Captain George Brydges Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
, in 1745, and the next year went with Rodney to the 60-gun . Rodney carried out several successful cruises, capturing four ships from a French convoy in June 1747, and fighting under Rear-Admiral Edward Hawke
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
at his clash with Desherbiers de l'Etenduère's fleet at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre
Second battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
The Second Battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval battle which took place on 25 October 1747 during the War of the Austrian Succession...
on 25 October 1747. Inglis saw action on both of these occasions. Eagle was heavily engaged with the French 70-gun Neptune in the latter engagement and suffered considerable damage. She was paid off in August 1748 on the conclusion of the peace, and Inglis was left without a ship. He remained unemployed until 1750, when he joined the 50-gun , at that time under the command of Captain Francis Holburne
Francis Holburne
Admiral Sir Francis Holburne was a Royal Navy officer who also served as a Member of Parliament.-Naval career:Francis entered the Navy in 1720 as a volunteer aboard , passing his examinations in 1725...
. Inglis's biographer, P. K. Crimmin noted that like Inglis, Holburne was a lowland Scot, and that Inglis may have been benefiting during this time from a network of patronage that included John Cockburn
John Cockburn (Scottish politician)
John Cockburn of Ormiston, East Lothian, was a Scottish politician, the son of Adam Cockburn of Ormiston, Lord Justice Clerk. He is also known as the father of Scottish husbandry....
, Inglis's uncle and a Lord of the Admiralty between 1727 and 1732 and again during 1742 and 1744, and Sir John Clerk, a friend of the family with considerable political influence.
Inglis passed his lieutenant's examination on 6 February 1755, having by now spent ten years serving in the navy. He was appointed to the 74-gun , at that time under the command of Captain Abraham North, and by April 1756 had been transferred to , also of 74 guns, under Captain Wittewronge Taylor. Inglis followed Taylor to his next two commands, the 90-gun HMS Marlborough
HMS St Michael (1669)
HMS St Michael was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by John Tippetts of Portsmouth Dockyard and launched in 1669....
, and then on 3 June 1757, the 84-gun HMS Royal William
HMS Prince (1670)
HMS Prince was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Phineas Pett II at Deptford Dockyard and launched in 1670. A contemporary shipyard model and a drawing by Willem van de Velde the Elder give a good impression how she looked...
. He was then promoted to commander and received his first independent command on 17 June 1757, that of the 14-gun sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
. Inglis was initially assigned to support Hawke's September 1757 Rochefort expedition
Raid on Rochefort
The Raid on Rochefort was a British amphibious attempt to capture the French Atlantic port of Rochefort in September 1757 during the Seven Years War...
, which ultimately failed to take the town. His next appointment was to the newly-completed bomb vessel
Bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
in June 1759, which was assigned to support the attack on Le Havre
Raid on Le Havre
The Raid on Le Havre was a two-day naval bombardment of the French port of Le Havre early in July 1759 by Royal Navy forces under George Rodney during the Seven Years' War, which succeeded in its aim of destroying many of the invasion barges being gathered there for the planned French invasion of...
the following month, conducted by Inglis's old commander, George Brydges Rodney. The expedition succeeded in its aim of destroying a large number of flat-bottomed boats which had been assembled in the port, thus frustrating a planned invasion attempt
Planned French Invasion of Britain (1759)
A French invasion of Great Britain was planned to take place in 1759 during the Seven Years' War, but due to various factors including naval defeats at the Battle of Lagos and the Battle of Quiberon Bay was never launched. The French planned to land 100,000 French soldiers in Britain to end British...
. Carcass is next recorded as having sailed to the Mediterranean in May 1759, though she was back in England by the following year, being paid off at Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
in September 1760.
Captaincy
At some point after this Inglis was advanced to post-captainPost-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
, and on 15 December 1761 he was given command of the 80-gun . She hoisted the broad pennant of Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Sir Peircy Brett
Peircy Brett
Sir Peircy Brett was an officer in the Royal Navy, who from 1740 to 1744 served on George Anson's voyage around the world. During this voyage he was appointed captain of the . He reached the rank of rear admiral in 1762, and thereafter served on land. In the Admiralty he was lord commissioner ,...
in January 1762, and sailed for Mediterranean that month to reinforce Admiral Sir Charles Saunders's squadron in anticipation of the entry of Spain to the war. There was no fleet action, and Newark was still in the Mediterranean in 1762, when she supported the re-occupation of Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
. The island was eventually returned to the British under the terms of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
. Inglis sailed Newark back to Britain with the fleet after the peace, and paid her off in August 1763. Her decommissioning once again left Inglis without a ship, and it was not until September 1770 that the Falklands Crisis
Falklands Crisis (1770)
The Falklands Crisis of 1770 was a diplomatic standoff between Britain and Spain over possession of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. These events were nearly the cause of a war between France, Spain and Britain — the countries poised to dispatch armed fleets to contest the barren...
brought an opportunity for further employment.
As tensions between Britain and Spain over ownership of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
increased, the Royal Navy hastily commissioned and prepared for service a number of ships in the anticipation of war. Inglis's old commander, now Admiral Holburne, was a member of the Board of Admiralty, and may have had a hand in arranging his appointment to one of these ships, the 28-gun . The appointment was short-lived; the Spanish backed down after failing to gain French support for their claims and the threat of war passed. The navy demobilised many of its ships, and Inglis returned to half-pay.
American War of Independence
Once again Inglis was reliant on a war to return him to service. He commissioned the 50-gun in August 1778 and sailed for JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
in January 1779. On 12 December she was sailing in the Bay of Honduras, when at daybreak a large ship was sighted ahead. Inglis gave chase, a pursuit which lasted all day until Salisbury came in range at 6.30pm. The fleeing ship hoisted Spanish colours and an action began, which last until 8.30pm when the Spanish ship had her mainmast shot away. Having sustained heavy casualties and suffered considerable damage, she struck her colours
Striking the colors
Striking the colors is the universally recognized indication of surrender, particularly for ships at sea. Surrender is dated from the time the ensign is struck.-In international law:# "Colors. A national flag . The colors . ....
. She was found to be the 50-gun privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
San Carlos, carrying stores and 397 men. Four men were killed on Salisbury and fourteen wounded, five mortally. Inglis continued off North America until the summer of 1780, when he returned to England, paying Salisbury off in August that year.
Inglis's next command was the 64-gun , which he took over in November 1780, sailing in April the following year with Vice-Admiral George Darby
George Darby
Vice Admiral George Darby was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the second son of Jonathan Darby III Esq. , of Leap Castle, in King's County, Ireland.-Early career:Darby joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer...
's fleet to the relief of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
. He was with Admiral Robert Digby's
Robert Digby (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Robert Digby was an officer in the Royal Navy officer who also served briefly as an Member of Parliament .- Naval career :...
squadron later that year, before being sent to the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
to join Sir Samuel Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
at Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. He served with Hood during the Battle of Saint Kitts, when Hood attempted to relieve the island and repulsed several attacks by the Comte de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
on 25 and 26 January 1782. Inglis was again in action with the French on 9 April, when Hood's fleet clashed with de Grasse's in the Dominica Channel, and fought at the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
on 12 April, where the main British fleet under Inglis's old captain, now Admiral Sir George Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
, decisively defeated de Grasse. St Albans had six men wounded during this engagement. Inglis sailed to North America in late July 1782 with Rodney's successor, Admiral Hugh Pigot. He was back in the West Indies by November, and was given command of a squadron of four ships cruising independently there. The squadron, consisting of St Albans, the 64-gun , the 74-gun and the sloop , was sent from Gros Islet Bay
Gros Islet
Gros Islet is a community located near the northern tip of the island country of Saint Lucia. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country....
on 12 February to investigate reports of a French squadron, consisting of Triton, Amphion and several frigates, having sailed from Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
.
On 15 February 1783 the frigate Concorde was sighted by the 74-gun , under Captain Robert Linzee
Robert Linzee
Robert Linzee was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary War, and the Napoleonic War....
. Magnificent was close enough to identify the mysterious ship as a frigate by 18:00, and by 20:00 as darkness fell Concorde opened fire on her pursuer with her stern guns. Magnificent overhauled the French ship by 21:15, and after fifteen minutes forced her to strike her colours. Magnificent took possession of Concorde, the latter being described as carrying 36 guns and 300 men, and being under the command of M. le Chevalier du Clesmaur. Shortly after surrendering the Concordes maintopsail caught fire, forcing the crew to cut away the mainmast to extinguish it. Prudent and St Albans came up two hours later and Magnificent towed Concorde to St. John's
St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
St John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. St John's is located at...
, Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
. Concorde was afterwards brought into the navy as .
Later life
Inglis sailed St Albans back to Britain in July 1783 and paid her off on the conclusion of the war. He saw no further service at sea, though he continued to be promoted on the basis of his seniority, being made rear-admiral of the blue on 21 September 1790. He died on 10 October 1791, at his brother's seat near EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. His biographer, P. K. Crimmin, assessed him as being 'a capable and competent officer without being inspired or presented with fortunate opportunities.' There are no details of Inglis having married, and Wood's The Ancient and Modern State of the Parish of Cramond stated that he died unmarried, but he is known to have had at least one child, a son, Charles Inglis
Charles Inglis (d. 1833)
Charles Inglis was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of post-captain....
. The younger Charles Inglis followed his father into the navy, served in several engagements of the French Revolutionary
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, and died in 1833 with the rank of post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
.